Summer Math Content Intensive

July 29 – August 9, 2002

Teaching and Learning Partnership

Facilitators:

Ginger Warfield -Mathematics Department Wendy Miller – Mathematics

University of Washington Teacher Seattle Public School
warfield@math.washington.edu wamiller@seattleschools.org

Jim King - Mathematics Department

University of Washington Art Mabbott – Mathematics
king@math.washington.edu Curriculum Consultant Seattle
Public Schools
Rebekah Elliott - Mathematics Teacher Ed atmabbott@seattleschools.org
College of Education University of Washington
joriott@earthlink.net

This two week intensive will focus on two goals, learning mathematics and learning about the
teaching of mathematics. We will examine two mathematical content areas, rational numbers and
geometry, to better understand the conceptual issues at play in the mathematics. For part of each day
we will act as students of mathematics, digging into mathematical problems germane to the middle
school curriculum and uncovering big mathematical ideas. Although this may be mathematics that you
have learned before we encourage you to push yourself to understand why something works and how
do you know. On many occasions we will ask you to approach more “typical” problems in non-
standard ways. It is our intent that you will deepen your understanding of these two mathematical
areas so that you are better prepared to support your middle school students. In addition, during
another part of the day we will be learning about teaching mathematics. This will primarily take place
by analyzing Seattle’s middle school instructional materials, the Connect Mathematics Project (CMP).
CMP will serve to ground our work on teaching standards-based mathematics. We will be examining
the mathematical ideas in lessons, teaching pedagogy underlying lessons and issues middle school
students experience with the ideas.
We consider learning mathematics and teaching mathematics as two explicit goals; however,
we acknowledge that they will inform one another such that we may be discussing mathematics and
shift to talking about teaching mathematics and vice versa. We believe that each goal is important to
you becoming mathematics teachers with deep understandings of mathematics teaching and learning.
This summer is a chance to familiarize ourselves with some of the mathematics and curriculum that
you will see during the school year as well as discuss underlying teaching principles. Learning about
teaching is an on going process and we will be discussing issues of teaching throughout the year. We
encourage you to comment and ask questions about how each of our goals relates to your experiences
and thoughts of teaching next year.
Your progress during these two weeks will be assessed by completing mathematics problems
including written mathematically coherent and articulate explanations of your work. In addition you
will be asked to write reflective pieces on your learning mathematics and the teaching of mathematics.
These will be in the form of responses to a series of questions that arise while we are engaged in
mathematical activities or in the analysis of CMP. We also encourage you to extend mathematical
problems posed in the class, solve “challenge” problems presented, and/or create your own
mathematical tasks that explore ideas within the areas of investigation. Participation is essential to
being successful with the ideas we will explore these two weeks. There will be readings and
discussions that will advance our understandings by connecting research and student thinking to our
experiences. We expect all assignments to be completed. Assignments receiving an incomplete may
be resubmitted.
Grades will be assigned using the following criteria:

Below 3.0 incomplete participation and incomplete assignments

3.0 near full participation in class activities

successfully completed all required exercises/reflective assignments with written
explanations

3.5 fulfillment of 3.0 requirements plus

full participation in class activities
written responses show mathematical insights using coherent and articulate
explanations
solve one or more of the challenge problems

4.0 fulfillment of 3.0 & 3.5 requirements plus

solve all challenge problems with written explanations that justify your reasoning for a
general case
or, create an extension to one or more of the exercises and solve
or, create a relevant challenging problem and show solution
 Agenda

Topic of the Day Homework Due for the Day

Monday Developing fractional ideas

July 29

Tuesday What is the whole? Reading – Ball article

July 30

Wednesday Conceptual representations 1- 4 of Diagramming Fractions

July 31 of fractional operations

Thursday CMP analysis and discussion CMP group presentations

August 1 Division of fractions

Friday Wrap – up of developing conceptual Reading – Mack article

August 2 understandings of fractions Diagramming and explanation of four
fraction problems

Monday Introductory hands-on activity Set of mathematics problems

August 5 Analysis of CMP curriculum
Stretching and Shrinking

Tuesday CMP presentations & discussion CMP group presentation

August 6 Similarity wrap-up

Wednesday Volume & 3-D Introduction Written reflection

August 7 Analysis of CMP curriculum
Wrapping and Filling

Thursday CMP presentations & discussion CMP group presentation

August 8 Volume & 3-D wrap - up

Friday Pythagoras & optional activities Written reflection

August 9